Following the Evolution of Media Technology

Posted by Randall Yu on Oct 12, 2016 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on 3 Custom Home Audio Improvements That Can Improve Your Theater Experience

You may have invested a lot in multimedia equipment in your home, and that can include things like a large TV screen or projector, media servers, and other equipment. It can also include an audio system to give you an authentic cinema experience. While a home-audio system can be good, there may be some custom audio improvements that you want to do to get the most out of the audio in your home. Here are some custom home-audio installation improvements that can improve your entertainment experience. 1. Installing a Complete Home-Audio Solution for Sound Throughout Your Home Installing a complete audio system can be a good solution for your home, but the sound may not reach everywhere. Sometimes, the entertainment you may want can be listening to music. To listen to music with a better experience, you may want to have your home wired with a custom audio installation for sound throughout your home. This can also include controls for the sound system where you like and an intercom for communication systems. 2. Updating Speakers with Embedded Speakers in Cabinets, Ceilings, Walls, and Other Areas If you have speakers that sit in the middle of your living room or occupy floor space in a home theater, you may want to consider installing the speakers out of the way. A custom home-audio installation can give you options like embedding the speakers in walls or cabinetry. This can give your home sound system a better look and feel and keep speakers and wires out of the way. 3. Adding Sound-Connection Outlets to Change Speaker Setup Easily in a Home Theater Another option that you may want to consider is installing premium audio outlets. When you have your home wired, there may be areas like inside the home-theater and entertainment cabinetry where speakers are connected. You can have connections added that can allow you to easily change these speakers and other audio equipment. You may want to have some type of connections or outlets installed wherever you have audio equipment. This can also be good for areas like beneath theater seating, where you may have subwoofers installed. These are some of the improvements that you may want to consider for custom audio installation in your home. If you are ready for improvements to the sound in your home, contact a home-theater installer such as Jackson Hole AV and talk with them about some of these features to give you more from your home...

Posted by Randall Yu on Sep 2, 2016 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tips For Keeping Your Mobile Phone Charged While Playing Pokémon Go

You might have heard of the game Pokémon Go. It requires you to have a smartphone and to download the app. Once you have met both of these requirements, you can go around and explore your physical world and be rewarded by being able to catch Pokémon. However, you might have noticed that the game drains your phone’s battery relatively quickly. This can be frustrating for you because it results it in being more difficult for you to catch Pokémon since you have to go back home to charge it every few hours. Here are some tips for keeping your mobile phone charged while playing the game. 1. Reduce the Amount of Power Your Phone is Using The first thing that you need to do is reduce the amount of power that your phone is using. This is helpful because it means that your phone will drain less quickly. To do this, first look at how you are using the game. If you are using the game’s AR mode, meaning that you are using the phone’s camera to see the Pokémon that you are catching in the real world, you are draining power more quickly. Turning off the game’s AR mode will have your phone using less of a charge but the game will still be playable. Another way to conserve power is to turn off your WiFi. This is helpful because your phone is always using power to look for open WiFi spots and report them back to you. If you turn off the WiFi, the phone will no longer look for spots and therefore use less energy. Finally, use Pokémon Go’s power-saving mode while you are walking around. This mode allows you to tilt your phone down to turn the screen off but still have the app running in the background. The app will still record the distance that you have traveled with regards to your egg-hatching and will vibrate every time a Pokémon spawns near you. 2. Map Your Routes Another option is to map out your routes to areas that have phone charging stations. The best place to look for these are college campuses, specifically their libraries and popular restaurants. The reason for this is that schools know that students need to remain connected to their phones while sitting for a long period of time doing homework. All you have to do is commit to charging your phone every few hours by sitting in a charging station for a bit and you will be able to keep playing for a long time. For more information, talk to a company that specializes in charging stations. They might have mobile battery packs that you can buy and bring with you while you are playing Pokémon...

Posted by Randall Yu on Aug 5, 2016 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Moving Your Home Theater From The Garage To The Basement? Store The Goods Until You Are Ready

A garage may be commonly used for storing vehicles, but it does not have to be used this way. Sometimes, giving it another purpose is exactly what you need to be happy in your home. If you love watching shows and movies with your family, you may have turned it into a home theater. This means you likely saved a lot of money by skipping the movie theater and had plenty of fun nights with family and friends. When you need access to the garage for another use, you should put the theater in the basement. If you know it is going to take several months to get the project finished, you can use a storage unit until then. Television The most popular ways for people to show movies at home is on a large television or an HD projector. Handling the television is a little more challenging, but it can be stored safely. Start with a large box, or even the box that it came in initially, and then fill up the bottom and sides with foam board. Wrapping the television in bubble wrap is one way to gain a little more protection in case the box takes a hard impact. An important detail not to forget is adding desiccant pouches to avoid moisture problems. Speakers It is common for home theaters to have surround sound speakers throughout the room. This means you will need to store five speakers at the minimum, but it can easily go higher for enthusiasts. Puncturing is one of the easiest ways to damage a speaker beyond repair, so this is a problem to avoid. With a shelf speaker setup, you should use a freestanding shelving unit in the storage unit to keep them all off the ground. Another thing to prioritize is climate control to keep moisture from damaging the inside parts. Seating Whether you have leather chairs, microfiber loveseats, or cotton couches, the furniture is going to take up a considerable amount of space in storage and it will require careful protection. Conditioning your leather furniture anywhere from once to twice a year is ideal for long-term care. Using furniture covers is not necessary, just make sure you give each piece a thorough dusting once you pick your items up. Storing everything from the home theater while fixing up the basement might be a slight challenge, but it is worth gaining instant access to the garage and not having a cluttered home for months. Contact a business, such as A Tech Security, for more information....

Posted by Randall Yu on Jul 7, 2016 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Tips For Integrating In-House IT Staff With Managed IT Service Providers

Managed service providers (MSPs) are a popular way for SMBs to leverage the professional talent and skill of a larger IT department without having to pay for in-house staff. But most businesses also need to maintain an internal IT staff member or two for their own IT initiatives. Integrating in-house IT staff members and MSPs can create some potential challenges, especially in the areas of redundancy. Here are a few tips. Always Outsource Mundane and Day-to-Day Tasks MSPs are highly skilled professionals, but they truly excel when it comes to automating and scheduling more mundane tasks. MSPs aren’t able to go into your offices or to work on longer term projects; instead, they are designed to make it easier for your business to conduct their operations. By outsourcing your mundane yet critical tasks — such as backups and security monitoring — you’ll free up your IT personnel without stepping on any toes. Set Up a Virtualized System and Remote Controls Virtualized systems are the easiest to monitor and maintain for an MSP. MSPs can create virtualized systems that can be synced, re-deployed, and accessed from anywhere — making it easier for them to remotely configure settings and troubleshoot. This gives the MSP the same information as your in-house staff, smoothing over the process of collaboration. Cloud solutions are another way that you an ensure that the MSP and your in-house staff are on equal footing. Pay Attention to Time Zones MSPs are available anywhere in the globe — but you want an MSP who is available at the same time as your in-house staff. Don’t forget that many IT professionals end up working long hours. Will your IT services be around to support them if they work a few hours late? Will they be available if your IT professional comes in a few hours early? All of these time issues could potentially lead to system disruption if they are not properly synced. MSPs should always be seen as a tool to help your business and your in-house IT professionals — not as something that is designed to entirely replace them. MSPs work best when paired with skilled professionals who know how to utilize them to their fullest extent, and there are some things that it simply is not easy for an MSP to do, such as manage hardware. By involving your IT professional in the process and focusing on what the MSP can do for them, you should be able to undergo a fairly easy...

Posted by Randall Yu on Jun 2, 2016 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Why Are Some Computers Labeled For Different Uses?

Survey any electronics or computer store and you may find different labels on desktop computers and laptops/notebooks. Some may be labeled as business computers or entertainment computers, while others hold even deeper niche titles such as gaming or design computers. To understand what each term means and whether the difference truly matters, take a look at a few computer configurations. The Standard Home Computer Home computers are built to handle what most computer users need–even though the term “modern” for computing changes so often. Most users check emails, browse the web on standard web browsers, and use programs with low system requirements, such as document writing software. Current computers are often built with a multicore processor. Unlike the original personal computers with the power of a single processor to calculate, process and manage all of the activities on a computer, multicore processors have the power of multiple processors in a single package. Multicore processing is about load balancing, meaning that no single processor core will perform all of the work. Instead, the multiple cores help each other out to avoid maxing out a single processor and failing. This development is a double-edged sword, as even though multicore processing made computers faster and easier to use, new programs take advantage of the faster speeds to create better programs that eventually demand faster processors, and so development continues. Computers also have hard drives used to store files and memory to access those files faster. Memory is a sort of fast storage located closer to the processor, allowing common files to be delivered faster without slowing down the hard drive. A computer’s motherboard–which connects all computer devices–has a single processor slot, multiple ports for hard drives, slots for a expansion cards such as video cards and sound card and a connection for power supplies. These connection areas are where the specialties stand out. Business Computers A business computer is the least specialized of the specific labels. A business computer is often the same as a home computer, but with a different set of pre-loaded programs. Instead of having to buy a document processing program or a spreadhseet program, office software suites are often already installed to the hard drive. Business computers also tend to be sold in bulk and tailored to a specific business. They often come with a service plan, which makes the difference between a home computer and a business computer an issue of software and policies. If you plan to purchase a secondhand business computer, you may as well have a home computer and search for the programs elsewhere. Entertainment/Media Computers An entertainment computer is a slight evolution to the home computer system. These media systems often have specialized software for video and music playback, and may have an embedded/onboard video processor. There is a noticeable playback performance boost due to the onboard video processor, and the sound quality may be better because of an onboard sound system upgrade, but these changes are often less powerful than computers with dedicated cards. Gaming Computers And Other Card Expansions Gaming computers are one of the specific systems made more powerful because of a dedicated card. A video card is used to amplify video and graphics processing power, and there are certain instructions such as shader systems that are only available on...

To make the most of your business portfolio, you need to be able to leverage trades of your intellectual property, or IP. Trading your non-essential IP for products that will increase your bottom line is the best way to improve your own portfolio. However, in order to maintain control over your own IP – and prevent sabotage – you have to be able to protect your IP. Here are three ways to protect your company IP, and ensure that it goes public when you want it to – and not before. Identify All Your IP If you own a company, you probably have secrets that you wish to keep from your competitors. Those trade secrets are necessary for the prosperity of your business. Your IP, or intellectual property, is also important. If you don’t know what your IP is – such as you have a separate department that generates IP – you need to familiarize yourself with it. You can’t protect what you don’t know you own. Take the time to identify and label each piece of IP your company owns. This will help you identify any potential theft of your IP. Utilize Confidentiality Agreements with Your Employees If you have employees handling your IP, it’s important that you hold them accountable for the way they handle that information. Confidentiality agreements allow you to hold your employees accountable for any breaches that might occur as a result of their mishandling of privileged information regarding your IP or other trade secrets. Once you have confidentiality agreements in place, you should sit down with your employees once a year and go over the information included in the agreement. This will ensure that your employees remain up-to-date on the agreement they signed. Your confidentiality agreement should include a clause that prohibits employees from divulging information about your IP should they seek employment elsewhere. Limit Disclosure to Third Parties When it comes to your business IP trading, third party disclosures can spell disaster – especially if the information is disclosed to the wrong parties. Before you share your IP or trade secrets with a third party, be sure you have them sign a non-disclosure agreement. The non-disclosure agreement – or NDA is similar to the confidentiality agreement you’ll have your employees sign. This agreement will prevent third parties from discussing any information they learn about your company IP. Intellectual properties are a valuable part of your business assets. The information provided here will help you protect your IP and trade...

If you already have an internet provider that you are happy with, but feel like you could be overpaying, then there are some tips and options you will want to take advantage of to minimize your monthly internet bill. There are several ways that you can cut costs, even without having to reduce your internet speed or deal with the hassle of switching providers. So, if you want to maximize your savings, be sure that you do the following: Rethink The Speeds You Get: When signing up for your internet service, you may have rushed your purchase and bought an internet plan that offers faster upload and download speeds than you actually need. Well, if you are not utilizing the full potential of your internet’s speed, consider contacting your provider and inform them of what you are using your internet for. If you are only checking social media, emails, and doing some light browsing, they will be able to find a great plan for your needs so you can obtain the speeds you need, without having to pay top dollar for a plan that you aren’t benefiting from. Utilize Your Own Equipment: If you are using the modem or router that came with your service, consider returning these items to your provider and purchasing your own internet equipment. Internet service providers do offer a monthly rental fee, which can add up on a yearly basis. So, instead of constantly paying this monthly fee, buy your own hardware that you can utilize for years to come because this will be far cheaper in the long run. Bundle All Your Home Services: A great way to reduce the cost of your internet service is to add other services to your account. Many internet service providers not only offer internet service but other home features as well, like cable and home phone lines. These added features will allow you to obtain discounts as most providers offer multi-service discounts for their customers that have more than just one service from them. So, by taking advantage of this, you could likely save across all of your home services and not just your internet plan. Applying these tips to your existing internet plan will help you save on your internet service, which can add up on an annual basis. So before you deal with the complications of switching to a new provider just to save on your internet service, be sure to reap the benefits that these tips and options can provide as they will definitely help you maximize your monthly savings. For an internet service provider, contact a company such...

Technology plays a big role in how successful a business is. In today’s fast paced world, new businesses especially need to be technologically capable in order to compete in an ever advancing marketplace. A solid technological foundation is necessary in order to be able to provide goods and services to customers across the country and even across the world. A new business should invest in things such as hardware, software, and even IT consulting in order to increase their odds of being successful. Hardware Hardware may seem like a complicated term to those who are not technologically savvy. What hardware refers to is anything that can be touched in a computer system. Examples of this include hard drives, disks, screens, monitors, printers, and much more. There are many important hardware options that a new business should consider. These include network servers, different types of computers that have different uses, network equipment, projectors, mobile hardware, and printer systems. The goal is to have equipment that is up to date, that is able to communicate with different components in the system, and that is tailored to the needs of the business. Software Software is essentially the programs needed to operate computers. Without software, hardware is useless. Software is also something that can greatly help with the day-to-day inner workings of a business. Software needs vary greatly from business to business. The important thing is to really examine software vendors carefully and to make sure that they offer a product that fits the needs of the business. One type of software that most companies require is accounting software. There are many options available that make keeping up with financial information easier and more efficient. IT Consulting Hiring a consultant may seem like a waste of money. However, for a new business that is unsure of it’s technology needs, an IT consultant can be incredibly helpful. An IT consultant can use their expertise to help a business come up with the best technology to suit their individual needs. These consultants can meet with a business and help them determine what their hardware, software, and network needs are. Then they are able to help the business choose products that work with the business’s budget. An IT consultant can help streamline the technology hiccups that many new businesses encounter in their first few years. Technology and business go hand in hand. A successful business is able to keep up with new technology as well as use it in a way that increases profit and efficiency. In order to achieve these goals, new business should consider investing in hardware, software, and IT...

Posted by Randall Yu on Nov 23, 2015 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Never Too Old To Get Online: Helping Senior Citizens Acclimate To The Internet

The old cliché states that senior citizens simply don’t understand new technology or the Internet. And in many instances, this is unfortunately true: PewInternet.org found that only 59% of all senior citizens used the Internet. Increasing that number requires focusing on helping seniors better understand how they can utilize it properly. Follow these basic tips to get them started. Set Their Home Page To A Search Engine When the elderly are first getting used to using the Internet on their own, they are going to struggle to understand typing in URLs of specific sites they want to visit. That’s why it’s a good idea to set their home page as a simple search engine. Here, they can type what they are looking for, such as “great walnut and pecan pie recipes,” and click on a site that appeals to them. Later on, they may be able to get into typing in URLs, but search engines can streamline the process. Try to set them up on a site that utilizes a search engine and a news feed. Seniors love being updated on the news, and these feeds can give them access to important stories and updates on issues important to them. Creating Successful Filters The Internet can be a precarious place if you don’t know how to avoid suspicious sites, and unfortunately most seniors are going to have no idea what is safe and what is not. Setting up a series of strong Internet filters is one way that you can help protect them from the seedier sides of the Internet. What kind of sites should you filter? Try to filter: Pornographic sites Sites that automatically download new software Online forums and discussion groups Clickbait sites that use wild claims and weird photos to draw traffic There are multiple types of Internet filters you can utilize to keep your senior safe. Many people utilize software filters, such as anti-virus programs or traffic limiters, to avoid these sites. However, hardware filters that attach directly to your router can automatically block dangerous sites by setting up a firewall. Help Them Find Online Help Once your senior has started using the Internet, they’re probably going to bombard you with questions at an unmanageable level. Avoid this problem by setting them up in an online Internet education course. These sites help teach basic skills to seniors by utilizing daily courses, helpful tips, and guides for proper Internet use. Most senior Internet help sites utilize a “search” feature that lets seniors find specific topics, tips, and classes on Internet topics that may confuse them. Sign them up for one of these classes, show them how to access it, and check up on their progress regularly to ensure they master the Internet. If your senior is still struggling to master the Internet, it might be a good idea to set them up with a tech support agent who can come to their home and give them expert advice. Remember: the Internet is a vast and strange place, and you don’t want your senior getting lost in its endless expanse. Go to site resources that offer tech support for seniors to learn...

Posted by Randall Yu on Nov 11, 2015 in Uncategorized | Comments Off on A Recipe For A Sweet Podcast To Complement Your Blog

If you already have a successful blog, you may be considering branching out into a vlog or podcast to increase engagement and gain more exposure. But creating audio or visual content is about more than duplicating your written content. You have to find a way to complement your written content in a way that benefits your overall web presence. Below is one way to create a podcast that acts as a support to your blog. ​Separate Your Audio From Your Written Content Podcasts tend to require a longer attention span than a blog post. This is because a listener cannot simply skim through a piece and pick out the important parts the way a reader can. For this reason, it is important that you pick out which content you are currently posting will hold a listener’s attention for a full podcast. This tends to be content that benefits from the added intonation and intimacy of speech. Some good pieces of content to transfer into podcasts include interviews, critiques of music or other audio samples, and emotionally charged pieces. Heavily researched pieces that contain large amounts of statistics that a consumer may want to cross-reference are better left as blog posts. Spice Up Your Written Content With Your Podcast When you are starting, you should consider your podcast as a supplement to your blog. Instead of simply posting a link to your new podcast, you should integrate your content and link out to your podcast within your blog. You do not have to include a podcast in every blog post, but you should regularly supplement your blog with your podcast. Additionally, you should not to require your readers to listen to your podcast in order to understand your blog posts. Instead, entice them into your blog with further information and an even more comprehensive look at an already in-depth topic. Allow Your Podcast Time to Simmer Building an audience for your podcast may take time. For this reason, it is important that you are prepared to let it simmer without additional resources for a considerable amount of time. This means that you should be prepared to post regular updates without interruption. Having several episodes ready to upload before you launch your podcast is a good practice, as is having a list of specific topics that you intend to cover for the first few months of your podcast. A podcast can increase engagement in your blog and increase your overall web presence. However, it is important to integrate your podcast with your blog in a way that provides a complete, satisfying experience for your readers and your...

About Me

Hello. My name is Randall Yu. Isn't it incredible that you are now easily using a machine only dreamed about decades ago? Media technology has really changed in the past few decades. I hope to give you the information you need to follow and participate in the history of the media technology evolution.